help with clutch/throttle "bite" adjustment possible- stop the kangaroo?

[Electronic Battle]

Hello

I have had my 65 Plate Yaris Icon 1.33 petrol (25k miles) for several weeks and I just cannot get the clutch/throttle balance just right - the "bite" point -  pulling off in first still causes me to kangaroo like a learner!

Is the clutch or the drive-by-wire throttle adjustable?

The problem seems to me to be (1) the clutch doesn't bite until the very top of travel and (2) the throttle is very very sensitive such that a small number of millimetres of travel revs to 2k/3k rpm.  It's OK if I want to launch off the spot at flat out but not so clever for economical driving or traffic or caution etc.

It might be my incompetence but then again I do habitually drive two other cars without difficulty and I usually find I get the swing of things within a few starts (when first driving e.g. a hire car or recently when going for test drives for buying a new car) or within (say) ten minutes of town driving.  I'll ask my wife to drive the Yaris to see if she also struggles.

What is feasible to ask for adjustment when the car goes for a service - anything?

 

 

[Electronic Battle]

My wife's now driven the car and she also found her driving experience to be the same as mine. We both think the car suffers from an over-sensitive throttle which makes it difficult to get the clutch to bite at (say) 1000 or 1500 rpm rather than the 2 or 3k it revs to as soon as the throttle pedal begins to move. 

We also realise that we're both used to driving diesel cars, or old (20+ years old) petrol cars, rather than new petrol cars.  Perhaps modern petrol cars have rev / throttle position profiles like this Yaris to balance out rpm vs gearing vs economy. Perhaps I shall need to learn to avoid  throttle movement when engaging the initial first gear "pulling off".  

 

(I might still speak to the main dealer though; perhaps it is a common observation made by owners new to Yaris).

[ICF]

I also found the move over from a Peugeot 307 diesel hard work. I would frequently stall the car and found it hard to get the bite point correct. My wife's experience  was much the same and it took us a good 6 month to get used to it. I still seem to over rev the car so it does not stall.

[Electronic Battle]

That's useful - and encouraging - to know.  It's early days for me, having only bought it three or so weeks ago, so perhaps I am being impatient. Old dogs and new tricks and so on!

[Cyker]

Had a similar issue going from a Mk1 D4D to a Mk2 VVTi - Getting used to how gutless petrol engines are after driving a diesel for so long was tough!!

I found I had to get used to feeding in more revs as I operated the clutch. I also had to go back to rolling the clutch pedal back on my heel rather than using my leg, for the finer control, if I wanted to move off smoothly, while at the same time feeding in the power. It gave me bad memories of my learner days driving the world's most gutless Corsa

 

[ejap20]

I’m glad it’s not just me. I’ve driven all sorts of cars (new and very old) over the last twenty years and I’m really struggling to get to grips with the bite point of the Auris. I’m a month in and still kangaroo it unless I give it some welly. Stop/starting smoothly within low speed areas like car parks etc is really difficult! My 1935 Austin 7 clutch was easier to master!!!

I’m hoping I’ll get used to it, otherwise I won’t be keeping the Auris long. 

[Stevie J]

My car has the same issue. The biting point is almost at the top of the pedal travel and I have to let it out almost fully before the drive is taken up properly without slipping. It is almost as if the car needs a new clutch at just 34K miles, and it has always been like this from when I had it at 29K miles. Trying to do a hill start or stuck in crawling traffic on an uphill gradient is an absolute pig when trying to not roar the revs on the over sensitive throttle and battling with the high biting point is really tiring. From what I have heard they all seem to have a high biting point on the pedal of this era of Yaris - a complete opposite of my Mk2 where the biting point was at the bottom of the pedal travel. I am always worried though that the car may actually be on the verge of needing a new clutch - it will do if the biting point gets any higher.

[anchorman]

Are the engine mountings ok?   There’s plenty of those things about and I wouldn’t say it’s common.  If the engine mountings are duff or there’s oil on the clutch it will be fierce.   Needs a bit of investigation.  

[ejap20]

I’m finding this car a total bore to drive and crap in stop/start conditions (as above). It sucks the life out of me when I’m behind the wheel. 
 

Will probably be stuck with it for a while but can’t wait to get rid of it.

[TonyHSD]

Just sell it or exchange for automatic. 
Manual cars that has correctly working clutches usually are absolutely fine to drive in any conditions, however in heavy traffic even the smoothest and softest clutches will become a trouble. Too many too often clutch presses and gear changes are extremely uncomfortable thing. Hybrids wins big time here. 

[Cyker]

The problem with the 1.33 is it's like the 1.0 - Unlike the 1.3, they both have all their power at the top end to get the high HP figures so you really need to get used to using more of the revs.

The older 1.3L engine felt like it had more down low which made it more pleasant to drive.

All paled in the face of the 1.4D4D which was practically effortless it had so much torque  But we can't drive those any more unless you like being fined I mean charged daily.